Flames land Hobey Baker finalist Spencer Foo

Spencer Foo wasn’t waiting long for his welcome-to-the-big-leagues moment.

A sought-after college free agent, Foo committed Tuesday afternoon to ink a contract with the Calgary Flames, although the paperwork can’t be finalized until Canada Day.

Within moments, the 23-year-old right-winger received a shout-out on Twitter from Flames star Johnny Gaudreau.

“That was pretty cool to see,” Foo said. “I mean, that’s incredible. Obviously, he’s a college guy who’s been able to prove himself as one of the top players in the NHL and a bit of a role model for me coming out of college. I hope to be a great teammate to him, and that’s very exciting to me.”

Gaudreau’s social-media mention — “Everyone please help me welcome @spencerfoo to the #CofRed,” he wrote — resulted in a bundle of new followers for the Flames’ latest addition.

Truth be told, the organization is equally excited to bring him into the fold.

“We really like his style of play,” said Flames general manager Brad Treliving of Foo. “He plays fast. He has skill. Ultimately, I like his competitive approach. He’s a competitive kid. He had a terrific season. He’s a driven young man. And I think his skill-set will be a welcome addition.

“Now is where the work starts.”

Foo was at the Flames development camp in 2016 and, in the months following, the team’s brass spent a large chunk of time watching the Edmonton native skate with the Union College Dutchmen.

While racking up 62 points — 26 goals and 36 helpers — in 38 contests last winter, Foo had quite a following of NHL scouts.

Ultimately, the Flames won him over.

“We’re happy to have him,” Treliving said. “He’s a good young player. We’ve gotten to know him a lot. He had a terrific season, and he had lots of options in front of him.

“It was probably a little overwhelming for him, going through the process. It’s always a tough decision. You’re weighing your options, and what’s going to be the best fit … ultimately, we’re excited he chose us.”

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist was courted by several other teams, including the Detroit Red Wings, the Vegas Golden Knights and his hometown Edmonton Oilers.

So why Calgary?

“A couple different reasons,” Foo said. “One was opportunity. The Flames have a really good opportunity on the right side and have a lot of exciting players down the middle and on the left wing to play with. So I figured that pretty much whoever I’m playing with on the Flames, they’re going to be great linemates, and that’s exciting.

“The other thing is that the Flames are right on the cusp of winning. That’s what they believe, that’s what I believe, and that was a big reason in making the decision. Obviously, I want to win, and it seems like it’s going to be pretty exciting times for Calgary over the next few years.

“I think it’s going to be a special team in the coming years.”

Many folks feel the same about Connor McDavid & Co., and Foo admitted that he was crossing enemy lines when he committed to continue his career at the Saddledome.

“Yeah, I did grow up an Oilers fan,” Foo admitted. “But at the end of the day, it comes down to business, and if you don’t make the right pick for your career, then you’re going to get chewed out of the NHL pretty quickly because it’s obviously just such a good league. I had to what was best for my career, and that was Calgary.”

Treliving is thrilled to add another right winger into the mix.

“His position is one that, organizationally, we’re not exactly deep in,” he said. “I think he looked at it as a good opportunity here and a good fit for him … that was probably high on his list. We spent a lot of time over the course of the last few weeks and months and ultimately he made his decision.”

Foo will attend the Flamers’ development camp which runs at WinSport from July 5 through July 8. From there, he’ll attend the Flames fall training camp and try to crack the opening-day roster.

And, of course, if it was up to him, he’d be there when the Flames square off with the Oilers on Oct. 4.

“Obviously I’m confident in myself, and I want to think I’m ready to play in the NHL right now,” Foo said. “But I’m going to have to prove myself during training camp, and ultimately it’s up to Glen (Gulutzan) and Brad. I’m going to do everything I can this summer to prepare myself even further. But ultimately, I want to do what’s the best for my future. If that means spending time in the minors or whether I’m ready right away, then that’s what I want to do.

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